Field officers of Power Dept fail to do duty
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, July 09 2013: While the State Government is devising new policies to generate maximum revenue from the power sector even by introducing pre-paid billing system in Imphal Municipal areas, the street lamps have been kept switched on during daytime at several places in Imphal area thereby causing huge revenue loss to the State.

The street lamps have been installed at several places under Imphal Municipality in order to light up the streets during night time.

Moreover, local clubs, organizations and even social workers have installed numerous street lamps in every locality by taking unauthorized power connection.

The street lamps consume high power as they are mainly mercury bulbs of about 1000 Watts.

The street lamps in most localities are just connected to the domestic power line without much consideration about the power consumption and subsequent loss to the State Government.

street lamps have been kept switched on during daytime at several places in Imphal

In such a situation, people seem to have no civic sense.

They do not bother to turn the street lamps off during daytime.

The street lamps remain off when only there is load-shedding.

They do not understand that the cost of power consumed by a mercury bulb of 1000 Watts is around Rs.50 per hour.

The street lamps at Brahmapur Aribam Leikai, Singjamei Thongkhong, Kongba Road and some places under Imphal Municipality are kept switched on during broad daylight.

The power consumed by one mercury bulb would be sufficient enough to light up 50 households using energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs.

The State Government has recently started to replace the mercury bulbs in street lamps with CFL or LED bulbs at some places.

However, lack of civic sense among people coupled with irresponsibility of field officers of Electricity Department has caused huge revenue loss to the State Government.

The introduction of pre-paid billing system has somehow benefitted both the consumers and Electricity Department in terms of power conservation, an official said.

It may be noted that the State spends nearly Rs.8 crores monthly on purchasing power from other states and power corporations.

Many people are of the view that power supply in the State can be augmented only if the Government takes up a concrete plan to check power theft and people have a sense for energy conservation.